RMB WineX Johannesburg and Talk Radio 702 Best Wine on Show Awards 2008

Gauteng winelovers flocked to the ninth RMB WineX Johannesburg held at
the Sandton Convention Centre at the end of October. A record count of
more than 15,500 wine enthusiasts passed through the doors for the four
evenings of the show. With over 1,300 wines from 250 exhibitors to
choose from, 1,500 visitors cast their vote in the 2008 Talk Radio 702
Best Wine on Show Awards.

Hamilton Russell Vineyards, Springfield and Diemersfontein led the field of 21 wines which made the top rankings. KWV received the most votes for their full range of wines on show.

The most popular wines at RMB WineX Johannesburg 2008 were:

Joint first position Talk Radio 702 Best White Wine on Show: Hamilton Russell Chardonnay 2005 and Springfield Life from Stone Sauvignon Blanc 2008

The balance of the Top Ten in alphabetical order (includes wines with tied scores)

Boekenhoutskloof Chocolate Block 2007

De Toren DDS Shiraz 2004

De Toren Fusion V 2006

Kanonkop Paul Sauer 2005

KWV Café Culture 2008

Meerlust Rubicon 2004

Rupert & Rothschild Baron Edmond 2004

Rupert & Rothschild Classique 2006

Schalk Burger & Sons No. 6 2005

In what is widely regarded as the most credible consumer wine poll, the Talk Radio 702 Best Wine on Show Awards recognise and reward the country's top wines offered for sampling at the show. All but 10% of the wineries received votes in the ballot.

Commented Michael Fridjhon, director of WineX: "The Best Wine on Show ballot has become a meaningful barometer of the style and variety most sought after by the country's premium wine consumer. The numbers are large enough to be statistically significant: Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc, among the whites, and Bordeaux Blends and richly oaked Pinotages, among the reds, clearly showing what the WineX public prefer.

Now in its ninth year in Sandton and with 15 shows inclusive of RMB WineX Cape Town, the wine industry enjoyed a 25% increase in wine sales (on the 2007 record amount) generated through the Shop@Show retail facility transacted by Norman Goodfellow's. The top selling wine by volume was the Diemersfontein Pinotage 2007 and the top seller by value was the Meerlust Rubicon 2004.

Benoni Aurora Rotary Club raised just less than R190,000 for their services at the show and through winery donations.